I’m writing this after having just turned off the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) Selection Show, that is airing in prime time on the FOX, even though there’s still a half-hour left to go. The show’s now on its fourth commercial break, having yet to reveal what the show promised: The college football matchups for the popular Rose, Orange, Sugar, and Fiesta bowl games.
I’m tired of feeling like a seal waiting for the next little sardine if I just stick around through all the commercials that is paying the network’s bills. So I’m outta here.
For that matter, I’m tired of the BCS thing entirely. Sports used to be about rooting for your favorite team, your local team, your alma mater, or (perhaps) the players on your fantasy team.
Now, it’s more like the world of boxing, where we’re supposed to root for our team to “win” some voting derby and computer logarithm just so they are allowed to play in some game, so then we can cheer for them. ESPN now stands for Ever-Selling-Promoting-Nation and FOX Sports could stand for False-Offers-&-Xtras, which extend the games and dilutes the coverage. It’s boring because it’s a parlor game. It’s confusing because the system is flawed. It’s sour not only because someone’s always disappointed, but because they’re playing bingo with the lives of college kids. It’s just wrong.
And especially during the Christmas season, I’d rather watch authentic stuff. The only reason I watch sports is because it’s always been the truest reality TV. But those times, they are-a-changin’.
posted December 5, 2006 at 3:24 am
I refuse to be treated (as you so aptly put it) like a seal waiting for the next sardine, so I went online and found the whole BCS gig in about five minutes while the show was going on. The only game I plan on watching will be the Rose Bowl (Required Viewing in my part of the country), and maybe peek in on the Sugar Bowl hoping the Irish are getting their overrated butts handed to them. Oh, sorry, thought this was the ESPN board…